After a few days away, playing with the family on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors, the return to riding the bike to work took consideration. It was 2°c, ‘twas raining and the sky was grey… I took the car to work. #nobrainer? The following day I needed to pop to the theatre after work, so I took the car. Why not?
The commute in the car was nice. After 4 years of riding a bike to work I caught myself driving with more of a bike-rider’s mind and view. I found myself using the mirrors much more, I found myself assessing the road and obstacles more readily. Surprisingly, I found myself not getting frustrated while I sat there in the multiple queues. However, it might not take long for sedentary routine habits to come back. I am wary of the automatic pull of mechanised drive and the boxed in separation of the driver is not a healthy state to be in. Do you remember that ‘auto-pilot’ part of the drive in? Do you remember breathing as you drive?
Yes, I had a comfy seat, I had sparkly yet shallow entertainment on tap, I just had to sit there soak it up. But, I was missing my daily exercise, I was missing the endorphins, I was missing fresh air, I was missing the experience of really breathing! I was missing the interaction with the people I pass daily. And it was costing me £2 a day in fuel.
The specific fuel costs have dropped considerably over the last few years but still 7.7miles costs about = £1.08 that’s £10.80 a week. that’s £500 a year. I am lucky, I guess, as my work’s in a undesirable city location I don’t need to pay for parking. I’m chained to a desk so I spend nothing from Monday to Friday. No impulsive chocolate bars or bottles of sugar.
I have to admit the pull of the car is strong but after two days in the car, today I took the bike again. Fresh air, endorphins, exercise, passing friends “Morning! Where’ve you been? Are you ok?”, real breathing… and saving at least £500 a year?
rnwall to gain a ‘physical’ element of the award. No GPS, fancy gadgets or even cycle helmets in those days – it was all recorded on paper perhaps with the help of a 1980’s Casio f91.
…only 3 years …and 9000+ miles, and a lot’s changed.
The bike’s pretty much as it was 
I do not use major city roads so am not ideally placed to comment but in my subjective experience about 1 in 5 do pass too close when passing people on bikes. 1 in 10 pass very dangerously close. I film all the 7miles x 2 commutes I do ever weekday – I’ll check when I have time! But 1 in 10 is too many! Fine for fit, strong, attentive ‘cyclists’ but for the average person in the street that could pop to the shops on their bike, the traffic is not acceptable. Forget getting the kids cycling!
Jules P Richards 